


In the Shire

by ultimatehope



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22510900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultimatehope/pseuds/ultimatehope
Summary: After the Battle of the Five Armies, Thorin is left gravely injured and unable to lead his people in rebuilding Erebor. To give him time to heal, Kili and Fili bring him to Bag-End where he can be at peace with Bilbo Baggins.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Comments: 18
Kudos: 162





	1. Chapter 1

“Oh, Kili, Fili--” began Bilbo with his heart swollen with care for the two young dwarves. He reached up to cup each of their faces before pushing into a hug that they eagerly returned, “My nephews, thank you, thank you kindly, my dears, for coming all this way to see a hobbit home. I promise I shall take great care of your king.” 

Fili and Kili both tried to reach up in the same instant to wipe away the hobbit’s tears that were threatening to spill. Fili laughed, “Oh, it was the least we could do!” and Kili added, “To see our uncle be at peace in the Shire, with you, until the day he is strong enough to return.” 

The trio looked to the bed that the great Thorin Oakenshield laid upon. His wounds were tended to and the sickness of the dragon was a worry of the past; however, his slumbers were deep and the rebuilding of Erebor was the task of his kin, of his nephews, of his sister … it was not for him to worry about, it had been agreed upon.

Despite being early, a quick dinner was whipped up with a spot of tea. Bilbo saw the young dwarves off and packed them well for their journey. He felt strange returning to Bag-end after such a long journey… but it wasn’t long until the excitement of it all rose upon him. He couldn’t just sit nor write nor tend to his books, no. He started with cleaning, getting rid of things that no longer seemed important after facing a dragon.

He made a list of groceries to collect for his pantry. For once, it would no longer be him nor relations to worry about. He had a dear dwarf in his care, a dwarf he cared for dearly… and someone, he was glad he didn’t have to go on without. Nothing seemed as important, maybe only the mithril, the cloak lent upon him, “Sting”, and it was becoming clear that all the things he cared about… were things that only a Took would care about! It wasn’t quite the Baggins in him.

Nor quite the hobbit in him either. These holes were normally cluttered but as the eve truly set in, the only thing cluttered was the main hallway with things that he would be fond to get rid of. Through these hours, he would pass by the bedroom. He had plenty of guest room, spare rooms and the like, but it was his bedroom where he had the dwarf king be lain. His eyes would watch his breaths, chest rising slowly before falling. It was almost peaceful.

Bilbo took to the kitchen and to the pot on the stove. He filled a bowl with a thick soup and cut back to the bedroom where he put it upon the nightstand. “Thorin,” He began, sitting beside Thorin. One hand rested upon his chest while he pulled the other through his thick beard, “Thorin, my love--” 

‘My love’ was quite the curious term. Their relationship had grown since their first meeting eleven months prior, but to say Bilbo loved him… was all too true. He leaned down to kiss his lips, like he should’ve done when the sickness took his mind, like he should’ve done atop Ravenhill, like he should have done so long ago…

Thorin inhaled at hearing his name but the soft lips touched his own before he could utter a word. He knew it could only be one, the one he swore himself to before a death that never came, and despite the deep rest he fell in and out of, he knew they were home. Perhaps, it wasn’t his own, but …

The dwarf’s eyes opened with a smile perked up as his hands raised to grab the sides of the burglar. His grip was weakened by blood loss but he pressed deeply into the kiss, “My love…” He repeated, but when Thorin said it, it sounded more like “amralime”. 

Bilbo drew away from the gentleness. As much as he cared for the soft touches… he had another idea in mind. “Come, sit up, just a tad, I’ve brought you dinner. Nothing hard or chewy…” He pulled the bowl into his lap and sat up proper.

Thorin was grinning harder when his eyes opened. He shifted up, only part-way and with a few dwarvish swears, but soon, he laid where Bilbo could bring spoonfuls upon him. He reached for the spoon himself, not intending to sit here and be so useless, but that’s when the hobbit did something…

Unexpected.

He smacked his hand with the spoon. It was firm and quick before the spoon dove into the bowl again.

Thorin was starstruck but didn’t try it again.

Years from now, this would be the same method Bilbo used with Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and even young Samwise as he tended to cousins, nephews, and the son of his gardener, but that was a tale for another time, and it wasn’t young, handsy hobbits he was shooing away from undercooked food or food unintended for them, no. 

It was a grown dwarf, many years his senior at least in standard terms. 

And it worked all the same!

The bowl was finished and another was fetched. Thorin sat up further while Bilbo was gone, pulling the blankets from his body. He looked as if he was creeping towards the edge and Bilbo frowned at him when he returned. His frown was deep, causing wrinkles and creases to age his face.

Thorin offered a cheeky grin. He intended to stand. 

Bilbo intended for him to not.

And the one thing that the dwarf was beginning to understand in his moments of weakness was that the hobbit would get his way every time. He set the bowl down and pushed his shoulders until he leaned back upon the piles of pillows. He pulled the blankets back over him, shushing each time Thorin attempted to argue.

“Unless I’m bringing you to the restroom, you haven’t the need to wear yourself out,” was his reasoning.

Thorin argued, “I shall not have someone I treated with such distaste to wait on me hand and foot... “ He was already being shoved another spoon of soup before another word, “Master Baggins--”

“Oh, I’m back to being Master Baggins now?” Bilbo challenged, “Aren’t you correct? And in Bag-end, we shall do things my way.”

“Did you not have enough time doing things your way in Erebor?” Thorin ran a hand down the plump hobbit’s side, squeezing right above his hip as he pulled in more of the broath with his eyes never leaving Bilbo’s fair face. His brief amusement was sombered by the reality of the situation, and the reaction caught Bilbo’s next words in his throat. Suddenly, their lips touched, quite deeper, almost desperate. 

“We’re in the Shire, Thorin,” Bilbo said when he dared to break the kiss, “You shall stay here with me, I know you don’t care to stay here longer than you must, but I will do everything I can for you, okay?” His voice seemed to shake with his words. He blinked harder than he meant to and attempted to take another spoon to the dwarf’s mouth.

Thorin hesitated, “My dear hobbit, don’t be daft… you… you’ve done what you can, you’ve done more than I deserve, I…”

“No, Thorin, no, I can’t bare any more of you talking as if I won’t have you, whether now or in the future, I want you-- I don’t want to imagine not being in the company of you again,” begged Bilbo, but it did little to deter Thorin.

Thorin, with hands that refused to stop shaking despite his best attempt, took the bowl and pushed it onto the nightstand, using both arms to whisk Bilbo onto the bed with him, resting backwards against the pillows with the hobbit now draped half-way onto him. “You have, Bilbo, love, I don’t deserve to be in your home with you, you deserve peace, not still taking care of this ol’ dwarf. You’ve granted me peace, you’ve given me life, another chance …” 

Bilbo wiggled in his grip and shook his head, refusing to look at his face now, “Thorin, no, no, you’ve given me… you’ve given me life, do you not understand? You have taken me to the Lonely Mountains and …” This is when he inhaled sharply, “Back, we’re home, it may not be the home you wanted, but you are as deserving of a break, do not say you aren’t, do not dare, Thorin Oakenshield. I am so happy you’re alive--” 

There it was. His voice trembled when his last sentence and the tears that he had been holding back so delicately fell. He shoved his face against Thorin’s shoulder, deeper into his embrace, and he welcomed it with his arms wrapping around him.

“I love you,” was all Thorin had for him. He closed his eyes and inhaled. The breath trembled like his injured body, and it was now that they shared in silence. The only sound was ragged breathing and the hobbit’s sobs.

This was where they laid as the sun set on Bag-end, and this is where they stayed as the stars twinkled in the sky with the broth on the nightstand growing close as their body warmth was shared to fight against the brief chill from windows that should have been shut. 

Thorin’s warmth was all Bilbo felt like he needed as he fell deep into his embrace and eventually, sleep with the late afternoon and evening passing like they could disappear together. His hand groped his pocket, stroking the light bump that the ring in it caused, and he stuffed his face deeper against Thorin.

Disappearing together sounded beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to do a pwp one-shot but it didn't feel right on its own so I took away some smut and turned it into a second chapter of this. Bilbo and Kili are trans. Bilbo and Di have both been in arranged relationships for status/family. Added tags to reflect this and will probably tie more ideas and have more chapters of this!! Let me know what y'all think! :D

Thorin hated to admit it but hobbits truly were resilient, little things. For he thought he was getting a burglar yet what arose from the company’s quest was much more. A burglar, a nurse, a cook, a caring hand, and a dear, dear friend. Perhaps, even more than that. 

His darkened eyes followed the gentle touch of the hobbit as Bilbo dressed his wounds. It was just as Oin had shown him, but he couldn’t deny that he preferred laying in the hobbit’s bed and watching his curls bounce rather than being dwarf-handled by his kin. Soon, his gaze rose to Bilbo’s face. The focused expression he wore reminded him of the first time the hobbit cared for his needs...

It was after Bilbo had faced Azog. He had escaped Goblin Town to all of the dwarves’ surprise, and while the kin of Erebor were tucked in the trees, this hobbit from the Shire rose a sword against the pale orc. His plump frame stood between Thorin and death. After the eagles whisked them away from the brief battle, Thorin remembered the first time he took Bilbo into his arms, and Bilbo didn’t stop proving him wrong. 

Thorin watched Bilbo tend to his dwarven kin, watching how he helped patch up wounds and brought fresh broths to those that couldn’t stand on their own. Even with the weight of the princes of Erebor, the hobbit trudged along. It shouldn’t have been his responsibility is what Thorin decided, despite his inability to stand and help his nephews limp around. Who was he to sit and rest his aching body while a halfling cared for his people? What kind of king did that make him?

Bilbo’s voice interrupted his thoughts. The hobbit leaned down to where Thorin laid. He rested his hands on his thighs and squatted partially. The next words that came off his bruised lips were said with a kindness that the dwarf prince didn’t deserve, “I’ve helped Gandalf get everyone all wrapped up.” A hand came off his thigh to rest on Thorin’s shoulder, “We agreed it would be in our best interests to camp out and let everyone rest for the evening. There’s an area nearby where we’ll find more cover.”

Thorin listened and pushed himself into a sitting position, “Let us go then, master burglar, and venture to this covered area so my kin may rest.” But before he could sit up, the hobbit’s soft hands gripped the area between his throat and shoulders, beckoning him not to rise. 

“And you must rest as well, Thorin,” His words came out slowly, almost as if he was unsure, almost as if he didn’t wish to set the dwarf off again, “Let me help you. Please, I do not wish to see you hurt yourself further.”

Thorin was tense. He stared into the hobbit’s eyes and saw no malice. It wasn’t something that would be thrown back in his face… he had hardly mentioned him speaking of how wrong he was of Bilbo’s character! He… was holding no grudge, as much as the dwarf may have deserved it.

Bilbo didn’t wait for a response. He wedged his arm between the stone that the king propped on and the vibrant blue fabric of his tunic, “Rest your arm on me… please!” He added with haste. His fingers wrapped around Thorin’s larger, calloused ones as he helped him off the ground. At this moment, he questioned why he was so timid. He should’ve been dancing through the forest, up and down the mountain, the King of Erebor -- which was all that he saw him as, the rightful heir -- apologized for doubting him, hugged him, and oh, did he still feel the warmth?

Besides, he had gotten away from Gollum all by himself! He wasn’t the useless, little hobbit they all thought he was. He knew that for a fact! Yet, as he followed after the pack, falling behind with the leader trudging along beside him, he worried. It was as the evening crept in, as did the feelings that he would never see his home again and die a burden of the dwarves. He would even venture as far as thinking he’d be the reason the dwarves didn’t reclaim their homeland. 

Absolute hogwash! And it was hogwash that Thorin was catching onto. Thorin watched the expression of the hobbit tighten but not with the strain of his weight, with the weight of a thousand thoughts instead. As they arrived at an area to make camp, it didn’t take long for a fire to be made and the dwarves to start cooking some of the foodstuffs they were able to scrounge up. 

However, Thorin pointed to an area a bit further on, “Over here, rest me here. After dinner, we will have a quiet word together.” He spoke with such… authority. It made Bilbo shudder as he leaned down to help him take a seat. But what took all of the hobbit’s thoughts away was Thorin’s hand. It fell off his shoulder but his palm came to brush against his cheek, “Thank you, Bilbo.” He pushed his curls back and for a moment, their eyes met.

“Of course, I… I can’t imagine being thrown around by an orc, I…” Suddenly, a smile crossed his face, “I’m fairly certain all my brittle bones would be quite broken so you know, you… I am happy you’re alive, Thorin. Just give me a holler if you need anything.” 

And like that, Thorin went from watching his kin and the hobbit while recovering against one rock to watching his kin and the hobbit cook dinner while recovering against a different rock… a rock that wasn’t quite as comfy. He recognized he was of royal blood, could easily beckon the burglar over to help adjust some of his thick clothing behind him, but he didn’t. He couldn’t ask any more of Bilbo. Not now.

So, he didn’t see the hobbit again until he was marching over with two bowls in his hands. Bilbo, as intuitive as ever, noticed how stiff the dwarf’s body was and set the bowls nearby before taking his knees as a spot to sit and decloth him. A hand touched the king’s face, “It should be fine if you’re without your furs for a bit, I’ll prop these behind you?” 

“For a hobbit that hates company so dearly, you certainly know how to make yourself a host …” Thorin snorted, “As if it could be so easy to be in your little hole in the ground--” He groaned as he was shifted but found himself more comfortable now, “You truly have a gift for predicting what others need.” 

Bilbo sat back on his rear and set a bowl in Thorin’s lap, huddling close to his own. He thought of the dwarf’s words with a simple nod, feeling warmth take over his rounded cheeks, “Well, I… all hobbits, really, we’re raised to be hospitable. The Baggins’, especially…” His eyes got caught staring forward as he shared in eating during their conversation, “It’s not that I hate company, heavens no, I like to be aware of when company is coming, that is for sure! A bit selective, maybe, but I am very relaxed … I believe.”

A hardy laugh erupted from the dwarf who quickly swallowed the broth, “I would not fair you the relaxed type, no, sir! Anything but relaxed, if you should ask me.” He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. A face was made by the hobbit but he focused on his dinner.

Silence encompassed the pair as Thorin’s words rang true. Bilbo was anything but relaxed in this moment. He twitched and trembled, tensed and stressed. His head was full of “oh dear”s and the desire to go home. How far he had traveled, for better and for worse. 

Thorin let the silence persist, but his eyes never left the hobbit that sat so close to him. He finished his bowl and set it to the side before reaching over to push some of the thick curls away from Bilbo’s chilled face. Bilbo turned his head to the side and looked up at him with slightly moist eyes. “Are you afraid, little hobbit?” came the deep voice of the dwarf.

Bilbo set his own bowl from the side and brought his knees up to his chest, leaning back against the rock. It was with an unsteady voice that he whispered, “Yes, I am… terrified.” He exhaled heavily with his heart racing against his ribcage. His eyes met Thorin’s before his demeanor finally broke. All the thoughts of fear came flooding in as he suddenly collided his face with the dwarf’s chest, twisting at his side. He tried holding back the tears. How dreadful to show such weakness! He could hear the dwarf doubting him again … but… 

Thorin wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. It was a warm embrace that the hobbit was all too willing to melt into. He held Bilbo close, only waiting a minute before lifting him right into his lap. “Shh, you’ve saved my life and shown more courage than any of your kind should like to. Feel pride in your heart.” and after a moment, he added, “I’ve got you.” 

Bilbo felt the tears about to fall as this is the closest he had been to anyone lately. Unlike the dwarf who had cousins, friends, and his nephews flopped over him at any moment, he couldn’t remember the last time he could feel safe in the embrace of another. As his tears dampened the dwarf’s undershirt, he couldn’t even process what he was crying about. 

“I’ve got you,” said the dwarf again, and Bilbo brought his arms up on either side of the injured man, tightening his grip. He wheezed, and mumbled against the clothing came, “Thank you, thank you …” 

When Bilbo finally raised his head, it was with the help of the dwarf’s hand cupping his cheek. He hiccuped and pouted as his reddened face was exposed, but what happened next wiped all thoughts away. Thorin leaned in and pressed a kiss against his lips. All the barriers came down, and Bilbo eagerly kissed back. Noises of desperation were given as the hobbit tried to take away his own tears. It was the dwarf’s fingers that did the job for him. 

“Oh, I hate for you to see me like this--” He hiccuped, swallowing back the saliva having collected in his mouth. 

Thorin pushed air from his nose with his expression scrunching up, “Do not feel shame, please … you are …” He exhaled and pushed his head close until their foreheads were pressed together. This forced Bilbo to look into his eyes with his own glistening. It was hard to find the words to comfort a hobbit he found so undesirable not even a day ago … and all that he managed was a shameful, “I am sorry, Bilbo, I cannot beg for your forgiveness enough.”

For a future king of dwarves to have to swallow his pride, the pride of Durin’s folk, the pride of his father, Thrain, and his grandfather, Thror. He truly brought shame unto himself and his kin by acting like such an arrogant…

He was pulled from his thoughts at the soft touch of Bilbo. It wasn’t his hands, which remained draped over him, but instead, it was his soft lips brushing against him. It was a touch that was as light as a feather, and he pulled away quite quickly to hide his face in thick strands of hair as he pushed his head into his shoulder. 

Thorin exhaled and beckoned Bilbo to tilt his head once more. He kissed back. It was firmer, and Bilbo melted into it. The two shared in each other’s embrace with eyes closing. Bilbo was the first to part his lips, tilting his head as if submitting to the dwarf. As their kiss deepened, the two sunk deeper into the robes and furs that laid on the rock. Just as their arms were wrapped around one another, Bilbo’s legs slipped around the dwarf’s thick midsection and he pushed himself closer.

Oh, what Thorin would have given to lay the hobbit out on his back, tower over him, as their kisses deepened, but alas, his aching body would have likely dropped the poor hobbit while attempting to move. 

A shudder came over him at the desperate whine that slid off of Bilbo’s lips. The following squeak of embarrassment didn’t go unnoticed, even as their lips never slipped away from one another. 

This persisted for the next few minutes, their bodies gingerly rocking against one another, and it was only interrupted when another member of the company decided to check-in to ensure Thorin hadn’t maimed Bilbo in their quiet time together. 

It was the older of Thorin’s nephews, Fili, and he whistled to get their attention, “Uncle Thorin!” He tilted his head, trying to figure out exactly what the two were doing, “Did ya finally get sick of ‘im, Bilbo? Decide to choke him out?” He squinted through the darkness but it didn’t take him long to realize their lips were locked, even when Bilbo flew out of his uncle’s lap in shock, panting. 

Laughter erupted from the younger dwarf as he caught his uncle’s gaze of anger, “Get out of here, Fili! Go, go!” It was less than shame, more full of agitation, and more fueled by Bilbo’s shame as he was quickly trying to collect himself, the bowls, and get out of dodge. But that’s when Thorin took one of the bowls and threw it in the direction of the cackling dwarf. As the hobbit attempted to follow Thorin’s retreating nephew, Thorin reached out and caught the tail of his coat. 

“Bilbo?” He leaned forward with a grunt.

Bilbo spun on him, “Oh, Thorin, my apologies, I should leave you to rest, I’m sorry for taking up your time--” His words came out quicker as he whisked his coat from the dwarf’s grip, nearly trembling with both bowls knocking together in his free arm. 

“Please stay, don’t allow Fili to change your mood. He’s no more than a child who doesn’t understand boundaries--” His nose scrunched up at how skittish the hobbit now appeared, but he exhaled, “If you change your mind as the evening continues, I welcome your comfort.” 

And with that, he leaned back, adjusting himself with a groan. Bilbo stared at the bowls and gave a brief nod before disappearing to rejoin the company.

The dwarves made quick work of packing their newly scarce belongings and taking inventory of what they had left with a few being sent to survey and scavenge the area for anything that would help the next leg of their journey. 

Bilbo felt particularly useless. Never had he gone on an adventure nor had he even camped or spent a night outside that wasn’t within range of a cozy bed! And should he have forgotten or lost something, he would welcome himself back into his home to collect it, decide against returning to his “camping” spot, and stay in the rest of the night.

Being in such a desperate situation made him uncomfortable. It reminded him that he was ill-prepared to think on his feet or contribute to these peoples who have been forced out of their home, forced to journey across Middle Earth…

Bilbo sat and watched the dwarves move across his vision. He tried to keep the ‘problem-solving’ part of his brain on yet another thought whisked him away. It was the feeling of kissing the leader of this company, the feeling of being in his embrace kept creeping into the back of his mind. And when all was said and done, when the dwarves piled up with the youngest and most jubilant two taking the first watch shift… Bilbo took up Thorin’s offer.

At last, he couldn’t imagine the dwarf was terribly comfortable resting away from the rest of his people. The least he could do is keep him company, he rationalized! And when he crept up on Thorin, he slowed his stride… maybe this was too forward, after all. He listened for his heavy breathing mixed with the slight wheeze of pain. 

Finally, he forced out, “Thorin? Are you still awake?” and came to join him by the temporary resting spot. He knelt down and reached up to push some strands of raven hair away from the dwarf’s face, and their eyes met when Thorin opened his. 

A yawn was suppressed, which made Bilbo yawn into the arm of his coat before exhaling, “I apologize for waking you. I figure I could join you to rest, unless you wish me to help you back to the rest of the company?” He tilted his head as he pulled his overcoat off and rested it over his body, leaning into Thorin slightly.

“This is fine, this is… more than fine,” came the quiet reply of the dwarf. He leaned in and wrapped an arm around the hobbit again. The two shared glances but it appeared sleep would take them and what happened earlier would soon be forgotten.

That was until Thorin’s voice rang true again, “Why did you run away so nervously? Tell me, was I too forward?” He calmly forgot that Bilbo had initiated the intimate moment.

“Oh, oh, no, heavens no, well… maybe, perhaps…” He scrambled for words, suddenly seeming a lot more awake than mere moments ago, “Ohh, I’m sorry, Thorin, for misleading you. I was wrapped up in a moment I couldn’t pull myself from. I--”

Thorin cocked his head, “Do you fair no interest in men? I apologize for assuming--”

“No, no! I fair... much interest... in men, it’s not that… it’s just--”

“It’s okay, I am not arrogant enough to believe every man would enjoy me, let alone a man who I have treated so poorly…” He went on, eyes finally averting.

“Thorin, it’s not you!” His voice rose above Thorin’s and he rolled onto his knees, sitting up partly and half in the dwarf’s lap. He grabbed his face, “You are handsome and… even as poorly as you may have treated me, I forgive you. I truly do. You care, you care so much, and… it’s not you.” He inhaled sharply and kissed the side of Thorin’s mouth.

It took a moment of silence for Bilbo to continue speaking, “It’s me… I can’t be with another man, I’m afraid. I…” He rested properly in his lap and looked away, “I’ve been married before--”

“Widowed? Bilbo, I--”

“No, no, divorced, disgraced … believe me, I’m not the Baggins’ family’s favorite child … I just couldn’t do it, everyone always hailed what a respectable hobbit he was, to have taken his name, even to combine it with Baggins, was their dream, but he was … rude--” He kept his gaze away from Thorin’s with a pout appearing across his expression, nose twitching as it scrunched up, “Only saw me for … I can’t go on, Thorin, and share in the memory of what once was. But since, I have no desire to be with another. I can’t.”

Thorin shifted up with a heavy breath, pulling Bilbo into his grasp, and their eyes met again, “If you say his name, I’ll strike him down.” His tone was all too serious, “If he has hurt you… we shall return to the Shire when this is all said and done, and you will point him out to me, do you hear me?”

“Thorin, I--”

“No, my dear hobbit, you are not some maiden--”

“But what if I was?” He shot back, “What if I was a maiden to be traded and sold for … her family?” Bilbo shuddered at the words.

Thorin’s eyebrows lowered, but he snorted, “No one deserves to be married off to someone who would hurt them … my nephews, their father--” And this is when a growl-like sound erupted from his chest, “Should you believe that they paired my sister off? With a rotten dwarf, though I don’t believe our father took much concern. And when she got sick of him, she chased him off herself. I couldn’t have been more proud, but what would’ve happened if family honor got in the way? You think I would’ve stood and let my wee sister deal with this dwarf for honor? For children?”

Bilbo sat with mild shock at the confession of his brother-in-law being chased off. He thought back to his husband, how much he would’ve loved to chase him out of the Shire, to ruin everything he once cared about, for his reputation to be tarnished instead of his own, but what stood out even more was Thorin not pushing further to know about what he meant by being a maiden. It wasn’t something he had ever truly told anyone who didn’t know him when he was small…

The hobbit shifted where he sat and leaned into Thorin’s touch, “Should you think of me less the man who sits with you if you were to know the burden I bear? Who I was at birth?” 

“You do not faze me, hobbit… What burden to bear? What secret could you hide? You shall tell me they believed you to be a lady for the first decades of your life? My nephew wasn’t at my hip before he told me how to address him. My only concern is someone will dare put him with a child, and I will have to chase them off if Fili doesn’t first. They’re both still children in my eyes, and that’s my own burden to bear.”

Bilbo lowered his shoulders, feeling all the tense muscles dissipate, and with a whistly breath in, he uttered, “Oh, I love you, Thorin--” and while the dwarf knew it wasn’t a serious gesture, he tightened his grip around him and safely held him away from the winds. 

And that’s how the two fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s embrace with the hobbit laying atop the dwarf. Bilbo murmured more “thank you”s, but Thorin only shushed him, fingers brushing through thick curls. 

Thorin hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep. His eyes opened and the forest escaped him, reminding him he was in the Shire. Bilbo had left the room, most-likely to let the king rest. He sighed. As far as he was concerned, he still had an ex-husband to address when he could rise on his own.


	3. Chapter 3

Adjusting to life after adventure came with its hardships. There were times where Bilbo felt bored, useless, desiring more… but he also felt an overwhelming relief to be home and to be with Thorin was a gift of itself.

Oh, his family would be dismayed! He was far too old to be sharing a bed with someone who wasn’t family, and there was no age where a proper Baggins would share a bed with a dwarf! Not that Baggins thought about dwarves or the outside world much … it was the Took in him that got him into this mess!

And he had half a mind to write a letter to that part of the family, thanking them for their blood. 

As he wrote his thoughts in one of his journals, his eyes drifted to the couch nearby where he had helped a healing Thorin get to. He was caught staring at him, watching how he read his books so close to his face with squinted eyes. 

“Oh! I am so sorry, Thorin …” He shuffled around his drawers for a moment, bringing a pile of rectangular boxes over, flopping beside him, “Here, try some of these?” He dropped the boxes in his lap before opening one to reveal a pair of glasses that were promptly shoved on the dwarf’s face, “Maybe it’ll help, you know? So, you don’t have to hold it so close.” His hands folded together and mimicked how close Thorin held the book before quickly tucking his hands in his lap, “If you’d like, that is, there’s nothing wrong with holding it closer.”

Thorin smiled. He was silent as he shifted through the numerous boxes, putting lens after lens up to his face until he found a pair that worked. He carefully adjusted the arms before tucking them beneath all the curly hair, “Thank you, Bilbo. You always know exactly what I need.” He returned to his book as Bilbo collected the boxes.

And this is how they had been interacting for weeks … 

Neither of them pushed the boundaries of their current relationship, even if they bathed together and wrapped up with one another each night. Throughout their adventure, he was sure that he had told Thorin more than he had ever told anyone else. 

He remembered the few times they had almost been intimate and wondered why Thorin never tried again. Of course, he hadn’t tried either, but it made him wonder where they stood. He was quick to call him a “lover”, Thorin’s nephews called him “uncle”, but he wondered if Thorin felt the same way.

So many things left not said…

Bilbo returned to his desk to continue journaling while the day passed. He listened to every noise the dwarf made… from the slight wheeze when he breathed to the groaning when he shifted and stretched on the hour as demanded by his caretaker.   
It was hard not to be distracted.

As the sun fell and the candles were lit, Bilbo piled up his books to prepare to make dinner for the two of them. He felt Thorin’s eyes following him, and it brought a slight smirk to his face. He couldn’t remember a time where he was watched but not scrutinized. It was enough to make him wonder why he hadn’t initially jumped at the thought of leaving the Shire. 

He cleared the distance between them and set Thorin’s book to the side before helping him stand up. 

“Your stride is getting much better, you know? I’m sure you’ll be walking on your own in no time!” Bilbo always stayed close when Thorin was moving from one room to another. He looked up to him with that smile still on his face, “I remember when Kili and Fili let you fall flat on your rear.” A snicker followed.

Thorin was so focused on taking one step after another that he didn’t process what was said at first. Then, he blinked, “Are you… mocking me, little hobbit?” He threw his weight in Bilbo’s direction, causing the chuckling hobbit to nearly lose his balance.

“Thorin, do not--” He hung onto the clothing that the dwarf wore, “If I go down, I’ll be, I’ll be taking you with me!” 

“Do you think that’ll deter me?” He threw his weight again, and like Bilbo warned, the two fell against one of the walls with the dwarf crumpled into Bilbo’s lap. 

Both of them couldn’t help but laugh! 

“You’re going to be feeling that in the morning, mister!” Bilbo pushed on Thorin as he tried to wiggle out from beneath him, “And I shall not feel bad for you!” He huffed.

Thorin let all of his weight rest on Bilbo while he laughed into his midsection, “Thankfully, I had such a soft pillow to fall into…” He wrapped his arms around him and squeezed! But then, he yanked his leg forward and pushed against the ground, desperately trying to lift them both from the floor.

“Thorin, Thorin-- be careful!” squealed Bilbo while he pushed his own feet against the carpet to try and support them both. 

It was a hard-won battle but Thorin, with a hand pressed against the wall, was able to stand up with Bilbo in his arms. He nuzzled noses with the hobbit before the two were stable and returned to their journey to the kitchen. 

Bilbo fussed and lectured Thorin the entire way. He started unbuttoning his clothing to check his wounds, pushing him into a chair the second one was available. “Now, you stay there.”

“And I’ll think about what I’ve done,” droned Thorin, whose smirk never left. He was quick to use the table for support as he helped Bilbo bring over dishes. Eventually, the lectures came to an end, and they were able to eat while talking about the books they had read. 

Bilbo started on the dishes, and Thorin was behind him in a matter of moments, trying to help. 

He hoped these moments never had to end.


	4. Chapter 4

All good things had to come to an end, didn’t they? 

For Bilbo, this was when a raven perched on the wooden fence that circled Bag-end. Thorin was sitting on a blanket in the grass with a cup of tea and a book in his lap that he managed to read without pulling any closer thanks to the glasses Bilbo had fixed up for him. 

Bilbo had rehired the head of the Gamgee family to tend to the trees, the grass, and the gardens. He was walking around with the older man, explaining what he wanted done while a baby hobbit named Samwise tumbled after them. According to Hamfast, he was learning the trade, but according to Bilbo, he was still too young to not trip over his own feet.

The raven landed and crowed at him. He met its eyes and felt like he knew why it was there. He patted Hamfast’s shoulder and started walking towards the fence with a feeling of dread settling in his stomach. Thorin had been. He could get around on his own now. His nephews would be looking for him. They’d want him to return to Erebor. Could this be the end of it all? 

How selfish was he for wanting to shoo the crow away and hide the dwarven king away from his people? He kicked himself for his sour thoughts and took the letter from the bird, carefully undoing the wax seal.

As expected, it came from the elder of his nephews. Fili had been rebuilding the great city, reforging bonds and leading while his uncle healed. Bilbo scrambled to open the letter before lowering his head and sighing. He returned the letter to its envelope and made his way to Thorin. 

“It’s Fili,” He explained as he held out the letter. 

Thorin’s smile swung from ear-to-ear as he took the letter with eagerness and read over his nephew’s words.

“Oh, I shall have to write him back immediately!” He pushed off the ground with ease after weeks of limping around Bag-end. Bilbo helped him pick up before they both headed for the study. He watched the way Thorin strode with pride, no longer needed to rest against him to get around.

Thorin took to writing his correspondence while the hobbit took to brooding on the couch. “Brooding” was a strong word. Bilbo would’ve merely said he was deep in thought, but the dwarf sensed something amiss nearly immediately. He set the quill back in its ink and moved to sit beside Bilbo on the couch. 

“What is wrong, little hobbit?” Thorin’s voice was as firm as ever yet so tender as he whispered to Bilbo. A hand came to rest on his side as he leaned into their quiet conversation.

Bilbo swallowed back and rested a hand over the one on his side. He brought his gaze up to meet the dwarf’s eyes, “Thorin, my dear, how could anything be wrong? You’ve healed so well and your nephew, Fili, bless his heart, has become quite the leader in your absence.” His voice began to rise in pitch, “I imagine he, Kili, all of your kin can’t wait to have you back, to have your guidance and …” He looked into his lap, “You’ll get to go home, to the home you…”

Thorin’s expression twisted. He reached up to run his thumbs over the hobbit’s cheeks, “Do not cry, please. Oh, don’t tell you’ll… miss this old dwarf?” The corner of his mouth perked up as he watched Bilbo’s cheeks redden.

“Miss you?!” His voice reached its highest pitch, “I mean, of course, but what is there to miss? You did everything to get your home back…” Bilbo brought his hands into his lap while his legs shifted and fidgeted. He refused to make eye contact, and it worsened when Thorin exhaled with amusement. 

“And I haven’t… even thought of where we go from here,” Thorin’s mouth dropped into a thin line, and he no longer chuckled over the adverse reaction the hobbit was giving him. Now, he looked at him with an expression full of sympathy, “Do not cry. As you said, Fili is, Fili has matured greatly. This letter puts my mind at ease. I do not think ‘Oh, I shall flee the Shire’, I think ‘They’ll be fine if I don’t’...”

Thorin looked down as he dropped his hands into Bilbo’s lap, entwining their fingers. He hadn’t expected those words to come out and shook his head, unsure what his intent was. His time in the Shire wasn’t finished. He was sure of it. Why did Bilbo doubt him?

Bilbo sat in shock, staring at their hands that were now locked together, “Thorin, don’t say that. After all you’ve been through, you can’t just…”

“What about what you’ve been through? Do not misconstrue my words -- if you told me to leave tomorrow, I would never bother you again, but there’s still so much I owe you,” His words were firm. It was the one thing he could be certain of, “I care about you. So much.” 

Bilbo swallowed back, “I care about you, Thorin, and that’s why you need to think about your family. Please, go write them back. Do not let me confuse you.” He shook his head and slipped away from the dwarf, standing up, “I’ll be outside, send my best wishes to them.” 

Like that, the hobbit made pace for the backdoor. He exhaled heavily once the fresh air hit him. He gathered his thoughts and took to the grass, calling out for the baby hobbit that tumbled through his garden.

He needed to think of anything but Thorin right now. 

Samwise was a welcome distraction.


End file.
